Hetton Lyons are struggling to keep their heads above the relegation waters having slipped to second bottom following last week’s home defeat to Whitburn.

And today’s match at Tynemouth has assumed significant proportions with the teams separated by just a point and alarm bells ringing after Gateshead Fell, as predicted, managed to secure their first win of the season against a severely-depleted Blaydon last week.

The net outcome was that the Lyons seemingly solid 53-point lead over the Fell was reduced to just 28, and a similar combination of results today would make things interesting.

Lyons expect Shaun Birbeck to be back to lead an otherwise unchanged team.

Gateshead Fell, meanwhile, have a home game against a Benwell Hill team that has suffered heavy back to back defeats, being bowled out for 29 and 60, two performances which now rank as the lowest and third lowest totals in their NEPL history.

Fell will be hoping they can prey on Hill’s fragile confidence, although their visitors are back to full strength with the return of Matty Rodger.

Five defeats in their last six matches have dropped Blaydon into the relegation quagmire. They stand just three points above the Lyons and face a trip to in-form South Shields. However, their injury problems are starting to clear up with Kiwi Ken McClure possibly returning today and Joe Reynolds undergoing a fitness test. Ross and Grant Nicolson are available again.

Stockton head north for the second week in succession, and again they will be coming up against a team in form. The hard-earned draw against high-flying South North should have boosted the Teessiders’ confidence, and they are also hopeful that Jamie Harrison will play following his appearance earlier in the week for Durham.

In the First Division the team they are all talking about is Eppleton. Now the only remaining unbeaten side they are just two points behind leaders Washington, and should have too much power for South Hetton given that the visitors are in serious trouble at the foot of the table, some 11 points adrift of safety.

The prolific Kyle Davis stands just 80 runs short of 1,000 in all competitions following his record-breaking 196 not out which destroyed Premier side Newcastle in the Banks Salver last Sunday, and with Davis in the form of his young life, and a full strength team in the field, a maximum haul must be the Eppleton objective.

Hetton continue to fret over the fitness of overseas professional Alfred Mothoa who is plagued by hamstring problems.

Leaders Washington could be tested by Willington, the visitors having won three and drawn one of their last four matches to edge up to fourth place in the table, just 25 points shy of their hosts.

Willington have Max Bailey back from suspension and the table-toppers hope to have both Adam Randall and Stephen Cuthbertson in their side after overcoming injuries, Cuthbertson rested last week because of a troublesome shoulder, a sensible precaution given he missed the whole of last season with a similar problem.